AutoTrader’s latest Annual Car Industry Report shows buyer activity is rising across brands and models, but pricing accuracy and listing quality remain the biggest drivers of enquiries.
Many South Africans now spend hours online researching vehicles before they ever step into a dealership. They compare models, check prices, read specifications and narrow down their options long before making contact.
According to AutoTrader’s 2025 Annual Car Industry Report, the platform recorded 439 million consumer advert views in 2025, a 13% year-on-year increase. The digital showroom is no longer a sidestep in the buying process. For many buyers, it has become the starting point.
Consumers are also spending more time engaging with listings. They revisit vehicles, compare alternatives and track price movements. That behaviour is shaping how dealers think about stock selection, pricing and digital presentation.
“We’re seeing a far more deliberate and data-driven consumer,” said George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader. “Buyers are spending longer in the research phase, comparing alternatives and testing pricing against the market before enquiring. For dealers, that raises the bar. Digital presentation, pricing accuracy and responsiveness to market signals now directly shape enquiry performance.”
Broad growth across brands
BMW remained South Africa’s most-viewed brand in 2025, generating more than 66 million advert views over the year. Importantly, every brand in the top 10 most-viewed ranking achieved at least 14% annual growth, suggesting that online interest is increasing across the market, not just in one segment.
Suzuki saw the biggest increase, recording a 188% jump in views, reflecting growing demand for affordable and value-driven vehicles. At the model level, the Volkswagen Polo attracted the most attention, generating more than 18 million ad views from shoppers.
For dealers, the message is fairly clear. Consumers are active, and well-presented vehicles online are getting serious exposure.
To respond to this shift in behaviour, AutoTrader continues to invest in AI-driven technology. Through AutoTrader Intelligence, a suite of innovative dealer tools has been introduced to improve listing quality and reduce administrative time.
These include the Seller Comments Generator, which instantly creates professional vehicle descriptions using existing listing information, and the Image Management Tool, which classifies and sorts photos as they are uploaded. It also identifies missing shots and recommends the optimal order based on buyer engagement data. Dealer Insights provides real-time visibility into supply, demand and pricing trends per listing, enabling dealers to respond faster without relying on manual reporting.
From interest to intent: Understanding buyer behaviour
High advert views are a strong indicator of attention. They show which vehicles are capturing interest in the digital showroom and drawing buyers in.
But importantly, interest drives intent. This pattern is common in digital retail environments, where browsing behaviour and purchase readiness are like a sales funnel, where it is important to capture the consumer’s attention all the time in the interest or browsing phase.
Some vehicles, particularly premium, performance or limited-availability models, attract a lot of browsing because they are aspirational. People naturally gravitate towards cars they admire or are curious about. These could be future buyers with low current intent due to affordability. High engagement in these cases can reflect interest and ambition rather than immediate purchase readiness.
Mainstream vehicles tend to convert more directly from interest to intent. They often attract shoppers who are further along in the decision process and focused on practical considerations such as affordability, finance repayments and day-to-day usability. As a result, these vehicles may generate steadier enquiry volumes and faster stock turn.
Views show what people are interested in, while enquiries show what they are ready to act on. Looking at both together gives a clearer picture of real market demand.
Pricing still drives conversion
Price transparency remains one of the biggest factors in whether interest turns into enquiries.
AutoTrader’s Price Rating feature uses live market data and machine-learning technology to provide a transparent view of how a vehicle is priced relative to similar listings. It considers factors such as make and model, age, mileage, condition and more to rate a vehicle price as Low, Great, Fair, or High.
Data on AutoTrader shows that 66% of cars sold in 2025 were rated at a Great or Fair price. Importantly, a vehicle rated as High is not necessarily overpriced or a bad deal. In 2025, there were 43,925 listings with a High price rating, of which 27,222 sold, resulting in a 62% conversion rate. This demonstrates that while these vehicles are priced above the current market average, many still successfully convert to sales. There are several valid reasons why a vehicle may carry a High rating, including:
- Exceptionally good condition
- High demand and limited stock availability
- Optional extras, special features or upgrades
- Value-add benefits such as extended warranties
The Price Rating is designed to provide context, empowering consumers to make informed decisions and ask relevant questions, while allowing dealers to showcase the full value of their vehicles.
Buyers today are well informed. They compare multiple listings quickly, understand market value, and respond faster when a vehicle appears correctly priced. Listings priced outside of market expectations may still attract views, but they typically generate fewer serious enquiries.
What dealers should take from the data
With 439 million advert views recorded in a single year, online activity in South Africa’s car market remains strong. Buyers are searching, comparing and watching the market closely.
Advert views give a leading indication of what consumers are interested in. Enquiries give an indication of what they are ready to act on. Tracking both helps dealers make better decisions around the way the vehicle is presented to the car buyer, as well as acquisition, pricing and stock planning.
In a market operating at this scale, performance is increasingly shaped by how well dealers present stock online, how vehicles are described, what the images say, how transparent the dealer’s brand is, how quickly they respond to pricing signals and how closely their stock mix reflects buyer behaviour.
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Author: Press Release from Have Your Say ZA on behalf of AutoTrader.
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